Training time commitment

February 7th, 2013, 09:42 PM

hi first time posting a Q here, so here i go:

how much time commitment is REALLY required from ng SF? I was googling specific state ng sites which say it is more than the usual 1 weekend/month and more than 2weeks/year. Is this true for every unit? or does every state do something different? would the >2weeks per year be during a particular month every year or is it unpredictable? (sometimes may...sometimes june or august/etc)? I'm just trying to understand how ng SF time commitments would work for those that need to work full time jobs to support themselves and their families during drill times.

finally, do you get any weekends off during sfqt... language phase...any other phase? which parts during the pipeline will you be FULLY ISOLATED from family/friends? Are there any phone/computer restrictions during much of the pipeline training?

im glad i found this forum and thanks for taking the the time to answer my questions!

how much time commitment is REALLY required from ng SF? I was googling specific state ng sites which say it is more than the usual 1 weekend/month and more than 2weeks/year. Is this true for every unit? or does every state do something different? would the >2weeks per year be during a particular month every year or is it unpredictable? (sometimes may...sometimes june or august/etc)? I'm just trying to understand how ng SF time commitments would work for those that need to work full time jobs to support themselves and their families during drill times.

finally, do you get any weekends off during sfqt... language phase...any other phase? which parts during the pipeline will you be FULLY ISOLATED from family/friends? Are there any phone/computer restrictions during much of the pipeline training?

im glad i found this forum and thanks for taking the the time to answer my questions!

SF Hunter may chime in later, but you need to understand that SF is a HUGE commitment. It isn't some POG unit where your commitment starts at first formation and ends at last formation for a junior enlisted soldier.

If you aren't absolutely dedicated to SF, then you're not going to succeed. Search up my friend, "jwarren". His posts may give you a clue of the motivation and dedication required to pass a portion of this endeavor. Personally, I've struggled with this decision because I'm less "settled in" at this point in life, and the last thing I want to do is show up at some SFRE looking like an unprepared @sshole. The point is, if you're not ready to fully prepare and commit, don't waste both their and your time.

As for the physical aspect, it's grueling so, again, there's significantly more work to be done outside of IDT than the typical leg unit. How much extra effort depends on you. If you're something of a perfect biological specimen, maybe less. If you are less fortunate, then you have a lot of work to do.

Comment

SF Hunter may chime in later, but you need to understand that SF is a HUGE commitment. It isn't some POG unit where your commitment starts at first formation and ends at last formation for a junior enlisted soldier.

If you aren't absolutely dedicated to SF, then you're not going to succeed. Search up my friend, "jwarren". His posts may give you a clue of the motivation and dedication required to pass a portion of this endeavor. Personally, I've struggled with this decision because I'm less "settled in" at this point in life, and the last thing I want to do is show up at some SFRE looking like an unprepared @sshole. The point is, if you're not ready to fully prepare and commit, don't waste both their and your time.

As for the physical aspect, it's grueling so, again, there's significantly more work to be done outside of IDT than the typical leg unit. How much extra effort depends on you. If you're something of a perfect biological specimen, maybe less. If you are less fortunate, then you have a lot of work to do.

thanks for the response! just to clear anything up im not asking about motivation/dedication to pass anything, or physical/mental preparation rather im asking for more info on how the NG assists their SF members in balancing full time jobs and drill times. also i wanted to know if anyone could tell me when communication with family via phone/computer is available during the 2 year long training. i fully understand that SF is a huge commitment which is why i also understand this commitment affects me as well as my family hence my questions. thanks

how much time commitment is REALLY required from ng SF? I was googling specific state ng sites which say it is more than the usual 1 weekend/month and more than 2weeks/year. Is this true for every unit? or does every state do something different? would the >2weeks per year be during a particular month every year or is it unpredictable? (sometimes may...sometimes june or august/etc)? I'm just trying to understand how ng SF time commitments would work for those that need to work full time jobs to support themselves and their families during drill times.

finally, do you get any weekends off during sfqt... language phase...any other phase? which parts during the pipeline will you be FULLY ISOLATED from family/friends? Are there any phone/computer restrictions during much of the pipeline training?

im glad i found this forum and thanks for taking the the time to answer my questions!

Perhaps I didn't answer your questions completely, and I may not be able to nearly as well as SF Hunter. (But you can also do some of your own research via http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/). Just think before you post; those folks don't take kindly to people who have not done due diligence.

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I can pass along the answer I received from numerous NG SF soldiers (Officers and NCOs). It varies. Some Team SGTs require more time training than others. Some teams stay extremely active and some teams are not. There is not a magical answer for your question from what I have been told. Common sense tells me that it can be expected that more time will be required (even if that time is at home doing extra PT, working on language training, researching upcoming training information, etc.).

As far as communication goes during the Q, there are times when you will be fairly isolated as well as times that you will be completely in touch with the outside world. This question was answered by the SF Liaison at Ft. Benning as well as an acquaintance that is currently in Phase 3.

As was mentioned in an earlier reply, there is a ton of information out there if you spend some time searching for it. Ps.com is great as is shadowspear .com. Both have many current SF soldiers that are very willing to help those that follow the rules of their forum.

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first and foremost thank you both for replying. i will definitely be checking out those sources you guys mentioned and try my best to do the proper searches before posting anything.

i figured the answer to my questions wouldn't be clear-cut and depend on the different state units/etc. i really wish there was a ng sf member who would be able to answer the whole fulltime job and sf training juggling act expected of them based on personal experience. like how much of a notice do you get to tell your boss you're deploying or have to go to drill training? even though you are protected legally, i just don't fully understand how any full time employer wouldn't get annoyed by you if you had to deploy or go to training without proper notice. anways thanks again for the input, much appreciated.

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One weekend / 2 weeks a year is just a old slogan. NG SF, you will be engaged in some form of Training at least 90 days a year. This is not all ran consecutive either. It takes commitment and understanding.